The present invention is directed to a step used for climbing onto a trailer. Trailer manufacturers, including boat trailer manufacturers, have found it advantageous to include one or more steps attached to members of a trailer for use in climbing onto the trailer to perform work, such as to tie-down a load or a boat, or to perform mechanical functions. Boat trailer manufacturers have found that steps mounted on or near wheel fenders are acceptable and popular with customers. Steps rearward of the wheel fenders are now regularly included on many boat trailers.
Trailer steps have taken many different styles and shapes, including elongate U-shaped “nurf bars” mounted outside a boat trailer frame side rail by bolting the bar brackets into a vertical wall of the side rail. Steps have also been made by welding, or bolting or clamping a plate, a box channel, or a C-channel to the side rail. Other steps have been made by extending an under-slung cross member, which is clamped between side rails, beyond each side rail. Even other steps are provided by molding a lateral step extension as a part of a fender with a portion of the step clamped to the side rail for stability.
Many of these trailer steps, such as the “nurf” bars, add considerable cost to the trailer. As fenders are generally made of plastic or fiberglass composite, steps that are made as extensions of the fenders are also the same material and tend to be not as strong as metal rails or channels and thus are less stable requiring additional clamping and reinforcement at stress points.
Molded plastic or fiberglass steps can be less expensive than their metal plate, beam, or channel counterparts, and are often extremely slippery when wet, as are metal steps. Typically, an owner or other workman needs to climb onto a boat trailer immediately after hulling a boat from the water. That is the exact time the steps are wet and slippery.
The objectives of the present invention are to provide what is desired.
What is desired is a structure for a boat trailer step, which is strong, durable and easy to mount to a boat trailer adjacent to a trailer fender, for both left-side and right-side installation, and installation at the front face and rear face of a fender.
What is secondly desired is such a step which has slip retardant features.
What is additionally desired is such a step which can be made from an extruded metal beam that can be cut to length for a desired trailer frame size.
What is also desired is such a step fitted with an end plate that will dress the end and cover rough sawed surfaces.
What is further desired is such a step that is capable of having the end plate readily installed without separate mounting structure on the step.